Traditional thermostats known in the art are operable to monitor environmental conditions of an area of a building and control the heating, ventilation, and air condition system (“HVAC system”) of the building based on the sensed condition. Typically, the thermostat allows a user to set a desired temperature as a setpoint and the thermostat will control the HVAC system so that the setpoint temperature is maintained at the area of the building. Control is provided by making a heating call or a cooling call to the HVAC system.
More advanced thermostats allow programming of a thermostat so as to follow a preprogrammed schedule. For example, different setpoints can be set for different times of the day and the thermostat will control the HVAC system so as to maintain those setpoints at the different times. Even more modern thermostats allows the thermostat to be accessed remotely, such as over the internet via a mobile device, so as to vary the setpoint or monitor indoor conditions from a remote location.
Building automation or home automation pertains to the automated control of various devices found within the building home. Devices being automatically controlled include lighting, appliances, security systems, access systems (ex: locks), HVAC systems, etc.